What Is Low Power Mode On iPhone And Should You Use It?

Have you ever found yourself in dire battery straits with your iPhone? You're not alone. With our devices becoming integral to almost every aspect of our lives, it can feel like you're missing a limb when it dies. But while you can't magically charge your device out of thin air, you can extend the length of its limited charge using a tool called Low Power Mode.

There may be reasons why your iPhone battery is draining faster than it should. In some cases, it can be due to your display settings, background app activity, or using GPS. For others, your iPhone can be struggling under extreme temperatures. It may even be due to things beyond your control, such as the natural degradation of your iPhone's battery. After all, iPhones aren't immune to the various issues plaguing lithium-ion batteries. While Apple claims that its iPhone 15 is meant to retain at least 80% of its battery capacity after a thousand charges, the reality is that many things can affect your battery health, particularly your usage.

Regardless of the reason, Low Power Mode can help pause some pesky battery-draining apps and buy you a few extra minutes. Here is how to turn on Low Power Mode, but also why you should be careful with it.

While some people will start frantically closing iPhone apps to save battery, it's not always the most efficient option. Thankfully, there are plenty of better ways to manage your iPhone battery life, including enabling Low Power Mode. Aside from task optimization for things like sending and receiving emails and messages to connecting online, Low Power Mode also affects things like display. To make use of Low Power Mode, here is what you have to do:

1. On your iPhone, launch the Settings app.

2. Tap Battery.

3. Next to Low Power Mode, toggle the button om.

To know if Low Power Mode is enabled, you can check if the battery icon located in the upper right corner of your iPhone screen is yellow.Once you're able to get your hands on a charger, Low Power Mode will disable by itself the moment your battery life hits 80%. In previous tests by our team members at SlashGear, our team also discovered that Low Power Mode can (marginally) improve iPhone charging speeds. On an ordinary day, an extra five minutes saved might not move the needle. But if Low Power Mode can save you in an emergency, it's good to know how to turn it on.

While Low Power Mode can be a gift for people in dire need of battery life, it can be a boon to people who need certain features. According to Apple, the features affected by Low Power Mode range from minor things, like visual effects, display brightness, auto-lock, and background app refresh, to features that affect functionality like 5G, automatic downloads, and iCloud Photos. In addition, Apple shares that the display rates will be affected when Low Power Mode is enabled on certain models, such as the Pro and Pro Max variants of the iPhones 13, 14, and 15, which use ProMotion display technology.

Alternatively, you might want to customize your iPhone battery life alerts. With this, you can activate Low Power Mode at a reasonable time (not just when you have less than 5% left). Aside from Low Power Mode, there are iOS Shortcuts that can help improve your charging experience. For example, you can enable a Fast Charge shortcut, which aside from turning on Low Power Mode, also disables power-hungry features like the Wi-Fi, bringing down your display's brightness, and so on.

Unfortunately, there's only so much you can do when your iPhone battery has degraded naturally. Once you see the signs that your iPhone battery may need replacement, it might be time to visit your nearest authorized Apple repair center or upgrade your device to another model.